Photography degree entry requirements

Through a degree in photography, you will have the chance to exercise your creative muscles within an exciting field. You will enhance your creative, cultural and social understanding of photography, while developing your technical knowledge when it comes to style, technique and equipment.

When studying for a photography degree, many universities will offer you the chance to work in industry-standard studios, alongside industry-standard equipment, to equip you with practical experience. Often photography degrees will assess students through means of presentations, portfolio reviews, projects and essays – as opposed to exams.

If your grades don’t meet the entry requirements to study a photography degree at your firm or insurance choice universities, don’t feel too disheartened. You still have plenty of other options to consider, including searching through Clearing to find an alternative course to apply to. 

Photography degree entry requirements 

The minimum UCAS Tariff points to study a course ranges from 88 points (CCD at A-level) to 128 points (ABB at A-level), with the average being 112 points (BBC at A-level).

For applicants with A-levels, many courses won’t require you to have studied photography in the past. However, they may require you to submit a digital portfolio of your work as part of your application. This will depend on the entry requirements of the course. Typically, subjects such as general studies and critical thinking are excluded and cannot be counted as part of your points total.

Entry requirements for BTEC applicants range from DMM for the top universities, to as little as MPP. In some cases, you’ll need to have studied a photography-based subject or have a combination of BTECs and A-levels.

A small number of universities do offer photography degrees with integrated foundation years, specifically for students who don’t have the required qualifications to gain direct entry onto their degree programme. The first year is designed to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills for degree-level study.

The entry requirements for these courses are much lower – as little as 32 UCAS points – so could be a good option for you. It’s important to remember though, that not only will your degree take longer to complete, the extra year will add additional course fees and living expenses to the cost of your studies.

Photography Degree Entry Requirements

Note: The exact entry requirements for photography courses will vary from university to university. It’s important to check the individual course pages for exact entry information – including information on what other qualifications may be accepted - before making any applications.

It’s important to remember that universities don’t just assess you on your grades or UCAS points totals. They will also take into account your personal statement and how well you’ve communicated your passion for the subject and your chosen career path. They'll also want to see what you can contribute to university life, so will look favourably on students who’ve been active members of clubs and societies at college/sixth form.

Some universities may also ask students to attend an interview or selection day and your performance here will form part of your application success.

Top tip: If you've only just missed out on the grades/UCAS points needed for your chosen university, it’s worth giving them a call to see if they would be willing to accept you – based on your personal statement and interview performance. There are no guarantees, but it’s worth a try.

How to compare photography courses in Clearing 

Other important information to look at when choosing a photography course includes what the module choices are, how you’ll be taught and/or assessed, whether there are placement opportunities, and the graduate employment rates.

You can compare courses based on all these important factors right here on Whatuni. Head over to Whatuni’s Clearing hub and enter ‘photography’ into the search bar to start your search. Then you can start browsing through the information pages for each course, comparing them to all the important factors listed above.

Top Tip: During Clearing, some universities have been known to lower the entry requirements for some of their courses. There's no way to tell if this will happen to photography courses in Clearing, but if a university has a lot of vacancies to fill, they may be willing to accept students with lower grades.

The easiest way to see which courses your grades make you eligible for is to click the ‘YOUR GRADES’ button located at the top of the search results page and fill in the on-screen form. The list will then be personalised with matching courses.

Once you’ve compiled a list of courses, you then need to decide which of the shortlisted universities you’d be most happy living at for the next three to four years. A good place to start your research is the university’s prospectus, which will give you an overview of what they offer students in terms of learning facilities, accommodation, social activities, financial support and student support.

We would also advise you to book an open day at each university – if you have time to do so. This will give you a chance to have a closer look at the campus and perhaps speak to some current students and/or potential tutors. Open day events are really useful for helping you build a picture of what your life there might be like and whether you’d enjoy it.

Before making any final decisions, we’d also suggest you check our student reviews. They'll give you an honest insight into what it’s really like to study and live at your shortlisted universities. Simply enter the university name and/or subject name to see what students are saying.

What if I can’t find a photography course in Clearing?

If you haven’t been able to find or secure a place on a suitable photography course in Clearing, don’t despair. There are still several other options available to you:

• Apply for a joint honours degree: If you can’t find a suitable photography course to apply for, then one alternative is to search for a joint honours course where photography makes up one half of the degree. Common subjects to be paired with photography include fashion, graphic design, journalism and marketing. Just make sure to think carefully about your future career aspirations before making a decision.

• Study a photography HNC/HND: Higher National Certificates and Diplomas are vocational-based courses equivalent to one (HNC) or two (HND) years of a bachelor’s degree. They aim to produce graduates who are ready for employment in a wide range of photography-related careers. The entry requirements for photography HNCs and HNDs are a lot lower than for a degree – as low as 24 UCAS points.

• Study a photography foundation degree: Much like HNDs, foundation degrees (FdSc) are vocational-based courses that last two years full-time and are worth two years of a bachelor’s degree. Entry requirements range from 24 and 80 UCAS points (D – BB) at A-level or P – MMP/DM at BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma. They are ideal for those who didn’t get the grades for entry onto a degree or for mature students looking to re-enter higher education. After completing a Foundation degree students can progress onto the third year of a BA degree or gain employment.

• Resit your exams: If none of these alternative options appeals to you, or you have your heart set on a particular course at a particular university, then you could opt to re-sit your A-level exams and apply for university entry next year.